Obama comments irk Armenians

President Barack Obama’s delicate dance around a highly sensitive regional issue in Turkey on Monday irked a small but influential American political constituency, which is accusing him of falling “far short” of a campaign promise.

At issue is the recognition as genocide the deaths of 1.5 million Armenians at the hands of the Ottoman government in Turkey beginning in 1915.

Obama has unabashedly encouraged such recognition in the past. But he notably dialed back his rhetoric at a Monday press conference in Ankara with Turkish President Abdullah Gul, for whose government the issue is still quite raw, and later in an address to the Turkish Parliament.

Obama “missed a valuable opportunity to honor his public pledge to recognize the Armenian genocide,” Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, said in a statement.

More Here

 

I never heard of this group but I find this humorous...

 

As a descendant of a refugee from the Armenian genocide, I think it is important to recognize the genocide for what it was. However, I also realize that international relations requires some delicate maneuvering.

 

What are your thoughts on what he said?

 

What is it that you find humorous?

That someone would want Obama to honor a pledge that he made to them?

Or that someone would believe that Obama would honor a pledge that he made to them?

 

It doesn't really bother me that he didn't explicitly call for recognition.

 

Mr. Obama, what about the Armenian genocide?

http://www.jihadwatch.org/

Guess they found out his talk is cheap.

 

What about it? Who has done anything about it? Certainly not the last 3 Republican administrations.

 

This happened in 1915. How many American presidents have done nothing about it since then? Certainly not George Bush or Ronald Reagan.

 

Obama pledged to recognize the deaths as genocide.

He had his opportunity but did not take it.

That is the cheap talk.

The last three Republican administrations did not make that pledge to win votes.

Obama did.

Try to keep up.

 

You're missing the point, is it on purpose? Obama made a campaign promise to them. He lied. Again.

 

Not the "ZERO"!! Surely not!!!:praying:

Gettin' so's you can't even trust a crooked politician anymore - what are we coming to??:BangHead:

On a lighter note, got this in an email; no verification as to authenticity, BUT it sure does hit the nail squarely on the head, whether it's really from an English Damsel or no!

Her question sums it up pretty well - "Who fed you Americans a whopping dose of stupid?"

 

Sad Armenian genocide pics:

http://www.armenian-genocide.org/photo_wegner.html

About the armenian genocide:

http://www.armenian-genocide.org

 

<edited myself - LE>

To be fair I doubt he was talking about the Genocide but about the words he highlighted in red:

“to be a man of his word and honor his pledge to recognize the Armenian genocide”

 

I would like to note, also, besides the Armenian genocide in Turkey, Turkey was the place where so-called muslim extremists brutally murdered some Christians either last year or the year before.

For Obama to totally disregard all of the historical facts and to not live up to his word as president is reprehensible.

 

Thanks Rev, like I said LE I was not familiar with this situation. Been reading up on it today and it does seem Obama took the easy road as he tried to build relationships with these countries. The key to winning in Afghanistan will be getting peaceful Muslim's to join our cause. Kind of hard to ask a guy you just called a murderer to join your side...

I'm not making an excuse for Obama but just saying how I see this issue. I don't want to down play something that means so much to others...